Used Books and Autumn Rain
by CassandraMcCord
Summary: Spencer Reid meets Katie Parker on a rainy autumn afternoon in a used bookstore. He finds that she makes him feel...well, he doesn't really know how to describe a feeling for which there are no statistics, but he thinks he likes it. And she thinks she likes him. *Spencer Reid x OC*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, my dear readers. I have to apologize, first and foremost, to my sweet Castle fandom readers who so patiently wait for me all the time and always welcome me back joyfully when I do get to my Castle stories. You know that Castle is always going to be my home, no matter how tumultuous it gets, and I do intend to return to The Dance Into His Heart.**

 **However, I have begun a new chapter (like my writing metaphors?) with the Criminal Minds fandom, who have been a delight on Tumblr with my ReidxReader fics. Recently, I chose one of my followers to be an OC in a fic I wanted to do, and this is chapter one of that fic. Her name is Katie, her url is katiekatskorner, and she's a total doll! So here we are, and I'm now multi-fandom, and this is the first CM fic I've ever posted here, so please give me some feedback.**

 **Love, Cassie**

* * *

Katie Parker browsed the shelves in a fashion that appeared almost mindless to the average person who passed by her. They would've said that she walked aimlessly through the aisles and some may have even called her disinterested.

They couldn't have been more wrong.

Katie may have appeared disinterested in the books that lined the shelves, but in fact, she was quite the opposite. She'd scanned their titles so often that she didn't really need to stop and read each one. She sought out more than what the average patron of a bookstore needed. For Katie, it was more about the books themselves, the stories they told, and the history that lie between their pages. That was why she chose to come here instead of the larger and more well-known Barnes and Noble that was housed not far from here.

No, she much preferred this place, a used bookstore that was housed within an old Victorian-era home, with tall ceilings and rickety stairs and piles of unshelved books lying haphazardly everywhere. It had no name, just a sign on the door that proclaimed, "Used Books". There were few patrons here, but Katie came in at least once a week. She loved it here, loved the solitude and quiet of it, the way the books spoke to her. That particular day, as usual, she wasn't really looking for anything specific, just browsing and decompressing. She took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of ink and pages. The smell was calming and she smiled slightly.

There was something about these books that she was drawn to. Maybe it was their history, the fact that they'd all been owned before, loved and read and traveled with. These books had lived lives before they ended up here on these shelves. That was comforting to her. They may not have been able to speak the way that people could, but their stories were told in other ways.

Katie picked up a Russian copy of Tolstoy's _Anna Karenina_ , running her finger along the words that she couldn't read, and wondered about the person who'd owned and then discarded this treasure. She was lost in her own world, flipping through the pages in the hard-bound book, and she didn't notice the young man who was watching her. She didn't hear him approach, and she jumped when he spoke.

" _All happy families are alike, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way_ ," he recited. The first line in _Anna Karenina._ Katie glanced back at the sound of his voice, and met hazel eyes, flecked with gold. He was tall and lanky, a little awkward, with unruly golden curls and oddly long fingers. He wore a button-down with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows with tight jeans and Converse high-tops and a messenger bag over his shoulder. Katie saw something in him right away. She'd always been incredibly perceptive. It was an attribute that had served her well, one that she was grateful for. As a young woman living independently in a city like this one, the ability to instinctively and with relative accuracy know who she should steer clear of was useful.

This man didn't seem to her like the kind of guy she should stay away from. Quite the opposite, actually. She felt drawn to him somehow, and she couldn't explain it, but she knew it. She found herself smiling at him, closing the book and turning to face him.

"Do you read Russian?" he asked, gesturing toward the book. Katie shook her head.

"No. I wish I could, but I've never learned," she answered. "I've read it a thousand times in English though."

"It's a good book," he replied. Katie found that she liked the sound of his voice; lightly scratchy, but warm as well, with a lilt to it that made it easy to listen to.

"It is," she agreed. "It's sad, though."

"A lot of good stories are," he replied, and Katie smiled slightly.

"So you like Poe, then?" she asked. He smiled and ducked his head for a moment before he looked back up at her.

"I do, yeah," he said.

"So do I," she replied. " _Annabelle Lee_ and _The Cask of Amontillado_ are my favorites."

"I like _The Tell-Tale Heart_ ," he told her, and then cleared his throat. "Um, I'm Spencer Reid," he said. She smiled.

"Katherine Parker," she replied. "Katie," she amended.

"Katie," he repeated. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," she replied.

"Do you come here often?" Spencer asked. Katie nodded her head.

"Yeah, usually about once a week, sometimes more if I need to decompress," she told him. She glanced around and he saw the light in her green eyes. There was a passion there that Spencer felt he didn't see enough of, and he found himself desperate to spend more time with this Katie, with her golden blonde curls and bright green eyes, the way she moved and talked with her hands.

"I love it here," she told him. "It's my haven." She was quiet for a moment, and then met his eyes.

"Would you like to see upstairs?" she asked, and he nodded. He wondered if there was much she could suggest that he wouldn't agree to at this point. There was just something about her.

As for Katie, she was questioning her own sanity as she led Spencer through the shelves and around piles of books. It was a public place, but most people didn't go upstairs, and Katie had never taken anyone up there with her before. She went there when she needed the peace and solitude that came with the company of books written in languages she didn't understand, but whose stories called out to her, spoke to her in a language she did know. Spencer followed close behind her, and he caught a whiff of her apple shampoo, which made him want to stop and inhale deeply, but he didn't. He just followed behind Katie, waiting to see what she was going to to show him. At the top of the stairs, Spencer let his hand linger on the antique wooden banister, and looked around. There were books everywhere, but there were also chairs and windows that exposed the misty fall rain that was blanketing the city. The tiny droplets became rivulets of water as they ran down the glass panes, gray light filling the space.

"This is my favorite place to come," Katie told him quietly.

"I can see why," Spencer replied, looking around, taking in the books. He wandered over to a shelf and ran his finger along the spines of the books. Katie watched, feeling very odd. Not in a bad way. It was actually a very nice feeling, it was just odd. Normally, she only wanted to be alone here, but for some reason, Spencer Reid made her want his company. He wasn't pressing, he was actually being quite shy about it, but there was something in those hazel eyes that made her want him to stay. So, with a glance outside at the rain, and knowing that she had all afternoon, she smiled at him.

"Would you like to stay for a while?" she asked. "I'll show you the rest of the store, and I think the owner has cookies."

"Cookies?" Spencer repeated, and Katie smiled.

"An elderly lady runs the place, and she likes to take care of me," Katie explained.

"By giving you unhealthy snacks?" Spencer asked. It could've come off as offensive, but he seemed genuine, and it somehow seemed endearing to her. She laughed.

"She's my surrogate grandmother," Katie answered. "And grandmothers aren't supposed to be healthy." Spencer smiled slightly.

"In that case, yes, I would love to stay for a while," he replied. He watched as Katie smiled that bright smile at him before she turned away to look for the cookies, chattering as she did so about chocolate chips and cinnamon. Spencer found that he didn't hear everything she said, because he was so distracted by the melodic tone of her voice, and he could feel the flush creep along his skin.

Katie Parker was really something else.


	2. Chapter 2

Katie smiled to herself as she closed her front door behind her. She leaned against the door and let out a breath.

It was almost eight now, and she'd been at the bookstore since noon. Time had absolutely flown by, and she wondered about that. Why was it so easy with him? She'd known Spencer Reid for all of eight hours, and yet she felt as if she'd known him all her life. Nothing about Spencer felt new to her at all. There was something incredibly familiar about him.

They'd enjoyed each other's company so much today, talking about books and art and languages and everything in between. He was by far the most intelligent person she'd ever met, but he didn't seem stuck-up about it. He was fairly humble about it, actually.

They hadn't even noticed how quickly the afternoon had passed by until Spencer's phone rang. He had apologized as he answered it, and, when he hung up, had apologized again.

"I have to go," he said. "I had no idea how late it was, and I just got called into work."

"What time is it?" Katie asked.

"Seven-thirty," Spencer answered.

"Wow," Katie said. "It has gotten late, huh?"

They walked out of the bookstore together, facing each other on the sidewalk.

"May I have your number?" Spencer blurted, and Katie smiled.

"I was hoping you were going to ask me that," she replied. They exchanged phone numbers standing there on the sidewalk, and then smiled at one another.

"I had a really good time today, Spencer," she said.

"So did I," he replied. "I really hate to leave, but I'll call you, okay?"

"Promise?" Katie asked, and watched a small, half-smile appear on Spencer's features. He ducked his head to hide the pink tinge that had appeared in his cheeks and nodded.

"Promise," he echoed. Katie smiled as they turned to walk in different directions. When she glanced back to sneak a peek at him, she found him looking back at her, smiling.

* * *

Reid was late.

He was the last one to arrive in the conference room; all the other team members were there already, even Morgan. And if you arrived after Morgan did, you were late. And being late meant being asked questions. Questions that you could refuse to answer, but, being in a room full of profilers, not answering wouldn't do you a whole lot of good.

Predictably, they all turned as Reid entered the room.

"Hey there, Pretty Boy," Morgan began. "Where you been?"

"Sorry," Reid sighed as he sat down. "I was at a bookstore."

"A bookstore?" Prentiss repeated, and Reid nodded. He wasn't lying, and he hoped that would be enough.

"Yeah, sorry I'm late," he added. He saw them all exchange a glance, one which clearly meant that this would be a re-visited topic later. He cursed himself as Hotch spoke up, delaying the inevitable. As they went over the details of the case, Reid was only half listening. The thought of Katie was distracting him. He boarded the jet with the others and settled into a seat. He looked out the window and allowed his mind to wander to Katie, with her blonde curls and green eyes, the way she lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about. He loved that, and found himself fixating on Katie. He wondered if that was normal, to be so enamored with someone he'd met just that day. He wasn't sure. He'd never felt this way before, and he didn't know if others normally did or not. There were no statistics for this, and that was new territory for Spencer Reid. He gazed out his window and pictured the way Katie looked when she smiled.  
"Reid? Reid!"  
He jolted out of his daydream when he heard his name and glanced around. JJ and Rossi were looking at him expectantly, and he could feel the flush creeping up his neck and onto his cheeks. He shook Katie from his mind reluctantly, forcing himself to focus on the case-for now.

* * *

He called Katie the following day, when they had a break. His heartbeat felt fast as he waited for her to answer, and he wondered if that was normal. He had a lot of questions about how he felt for Katie. Questions were not his norm. He usually had all the answers, but he found that he kind of liked being kept guessing. It was a nice change of pace.

"Hello?"

"I told you I would call."

"Spencer!" She sounded so happy. Even though he had technically met her but once, he could easily picture he smile at the sound of her voice.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm…better now," he answered, and Katie laughed.

"Me, too," she said simply, and Reid smiled to himself.

"Um, I actually don't have that long to talk, because I'm out of town with work," he began, "but I wanted to say hi, and to ask if maybe you'd like to meet me again sometime this week?" he asked, all in a rush.

"I would love to," she said. "There's a coffee shop near the bookstore, but it's kind of hard to get to," she told him. "Do you like coffee? If not, they have other things too, but I personally need coffee to stay alive."

Spencer laughed.

"I love coffee," he answered.

"Great. How about you meet me at the bookstore then, and I'll take you to the coffee shop?" Katie suggested.

"That sounds good to me," Spencer said. "Does next Friday work?"

"Sure, about three?" she replied. "Is that okay?"

"That's perfect."

"Okay. I can't wait to see you, Spencer," she said.

"I can't wait to see you either, Katie."

He hung up smiling, wondering yet again if the fluttery feeling in his stomach was something normal.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Hey," Katie said.

"Hi, Katie," Spencer replied. She caught him looking her over and felt a rush of pleasure, glad she'd taken the time to look nice today.

"You ready?" Katie asked. Spencer nodded, glancing behind her out the window at the rain.

"How are we getting there?" he asked. Katie grinned.

"Hope you brought a raincoat," she said. Spencer smiled slightly, holding up his jacket by its hood.

"I did," he said.

"Good, because we're walking," Katie replied. Spencer followed her outside as he shrugged his own jacket on. As the bell on the door clanged against the glass, they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Which way?" Spencer asked. Katie gestured to their right and led the way, Spencer falling into step behind her.

"Um, it's good to see you," Spencer said quietly. Katie, warmth blooming in her stomach, offered him a little smile.

"It's good to see you too, Spencer," she said.

"How was your week?" he asked.

"It was good," she replied. "Yours?"

He hesitated, thinking about his trip to Colorado, where they'd worked the case of several murdered teenagers.

"It could've been worse," he told her. He wasn't lying; after all, they'd caught the killer and managed to return the last girl safely home to her parents.

"What exactly do you do?" Katie asked. "I know you were out of town for work, but what's your job?"

Spencer hesitated. What if Katie didn't want to date an FBI Agent with a hectic work schedule? What if this was a turn-off for her?

"Spencer?" Katie prompted.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm, uh, an FBI Agent," he replied. Katie's face registered surprise.

"Are you serious?" she asked. Spencer nodded.

"Yeah."

"Sorry, that's just…not what I would've guessed," she said.

"Yeah, most people don't." Katie glanced up at him. He seemed put off, as if he had rescinded into his shell.

"You okay?" she asked. They had reached the coffee shop now, and Katie reached for the door, Spencer following her inside.

"I just…hope it doesn't bother you that I work with the FBI," he admitted. Katie smiled.

"Of course it doesn't," she replied. "Why would that bother me?" Spencer shrugged.

They ordered and got their coffee, taking seats facing one another at a small table by the window.

"I'm actually really interested in hearing about your job," Katie said. Spencer watched as she blew across the frothy cream on top of her coffee.

"Well, I work with the Behavioral Analysis Unit," he told her. "I'm a criminal profiler."

"That's fascinating," Katie said, sounding sincere. "Do you like it?"

"Well, usually," he replied. "I like making a difference, although it's hard sometimes, especially when a case doesn't go well." Katie nodded solemnly.

"I can't imagine some of the things you must see," she said. "I did study applied behavioral science in college, but only in cooperation with speech perception. I'm not sure I could handle pursuing the kind of career you have."

"It's not always easy," he remarked. "So, what exactly do you do?"

"I'm a child speech therapist," Katie replied. "Also not always the easiest job, but I love it. Getting in the minds of kids who can't express themselves the way they should be able to, and watching them unlock that ability for language. They have so much more freedom once they learn to talk properly."

"That's a very worthwhile pursuit," Spencer said. " Especially considering that an estimated one in every ten people in the United States is affected by some form of communication disorder."

"Do you ever come across those children in your line of work?" Katie asked.

"Oh, yes, quite often," he replied. "A lot of the children that are important to our cases have difficulty communicating, often as a direct result of the trauma that brought us there in the first place," he replied. "As a matter of fact," he began, launching into a long-winded explanation of the link between trauma and communication. Katie watched him as he spoke, becoming more and more animated. She found herself enamored by him. He was so…unique. She'd never met anyone even remotely like Spencer Reid. He was completely his own person, and he never seemed to realize how wonderful he was. He blushed as he finished his rambling, ducking his head to avoid her gaze.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I ramble a lot."

"No, don't be sorry," Katie replied. "I don't mind at all."

"You don't?" he asked. Katie shook her head with a small smile.

"No. I-it's kinda cute, actually," she told him, watching as his face flushed a deeper red.

"No one ever lets me go on like that," he said. "They usually stop me pretty early on."

"I wouldn't do that," Katie remarked. "You have a lot of really interesting things to say." Spencer studied her for a moment, shaking his head.

"You're…very different," he commented.

"How so?"

"I…haven't ever felt like this before," he admitted. "I've actually been wondering if it's normal to feel the way I've been feeling, because I just…haven't ever experienced it, so I have no real way to know if I'm the only one who feels like this."

"Like what?" Katie asked, meeting his hazel eyes.

"Like…it's kind of hard to describe, but I've just not been able to stop thinking about you," Spencer told her. "I only met you once before today, but it feels like I've known you my entire life, and I have an eidetic memory, so I have definitely never met you before last week. Every time I think about you, I smile, because even thinking about you makes me happy, and when I saw you today, or heard your voice on the phone earlier in the week, my stomach felt all fluttery, which I don't have a physical explanation for. Is all of that normal?"

Katie smiled at him.

"You know," she began, "I think that, when two people both feel that way about each other, then yes, it's normal."

"So…do you feel that way?" he asked boldly. His heart was hammering, and his hands were trembling beneath the table. Katie smiled her beautiful smile across the table at him.

"Yeah, I do," she replied, and he smiled at her.

Maybe these strange feelings weren't so strange after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Spencer glanced at his phone to see a missed call from Katie.

He didn't know how that had happened; he always played close attention to his phone in case she called. He picked up his phone and dialed her back. She answered on the fourth ring.

"Spence, hey," she said, sounding cheery.

"Hey," he replied. "Sorry I missed your call, my phone never even rang," he explained/

"Oh, it's fine," she said. "I'm glad you called me back, though. Have you looked outside this morning?"

"Um, no," he said.

"Well, go!" Katie urged. "Look outside, go to the window."

"Okay, okay, I'm going," he assured her. He shuffled to the window and drew back the curtains, revealing a recent, relatively substantial snowfall.

"It snowed," he said.

"Yes!" Katie answered excitedly. "Exactly. You should sound way more excited about this."

"Well, I'm not excited," he replied. "Snow is just a variation on rain."

"Hey, it was raining the day we met," she reminded him. "Rain is good." Spencer couldn't help but smile.

"Good point," he conceded. "So, you called to make sure I knew it was snowing?"

"Well…are you working today?" she asked.

"No, it's my day off," he replied.

"So, the snow's not bad enough to keep you from traveling, is it?"

"Um, no, I don't think so."

"Okay, well, will you come over? I want to play in the snow!"

"You want to go play outside?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," she answered in a tone that implied that she clearly thought that should've been obvious.

"I-I haven't played outside since I was about three," he admitted.

"Three? Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Okay, well, it's an all-ages kind of experience, so it's about time you experienced it," Katie said.

"Okay."

"Good. Go get dressed, and get over here."

"Alright. I'll see you soon," he replied.

"Bye, Spence."

"Bye."

Spencer dressed quickly, more eager than he wanted to admit to get over to Katie's. She made him want to do things he'd never done before. Things like splash in puddles, play in the snow, spend lazy days watching Disney movies.

He arrived at Katie's door less than an hour after she'd called. She opened the door and smiled at him. She was wearing jeans and the same candy apple rainboots she'd worn on their coffee date. She wore a waterproof purple coat, and a red scarf. Her blonde curls were pulled into a ponytail, and a white crocheted hat was pulled over her ears, her fingers and hands covered by leather gloves.

"Hey," she said, smiling brightly at him.

"Hey," he answered. She came outside, closing the door behind her.

"Come on, let's go," she said. He laughed as he followed her to the yard behind her house.

"So, how does this work?" Spencer asked.

"Like this." There was a teasing note to Katie's voice, and, seconds later, a snowball hit Spencer's shoulder and shattered. He froze and Katie laughed. But Spencer caught on quickly. By the time Katie was ready to throw another snowball, Spencer's first one hit her. She laughed and threw one back at him. Soon, they were both laughing as snowballs flew through the air. They chased each other around the yard, and, eventually, fell to the ground, laughing and gasping for breath.

"Let's make snow angels," Katie said.

"I've never done that," Spencer replied.

"It's easy," Katie assured him. "Just lie down on your back, and use your arms to make wings, like this." She demonstrated to him, and he followed her lead. As they laid there in the snow, packing it in and leaving an imprint in the shape of their bodies, delicate snowflakes began to drift to the earth, leaving drops of water as they melted on Spencer's and Katie's skin.

Spencer stood and held out his gloved hands to her. She took them and he helped her up. They stepped back to admire their snow angels as the snow fell around them, drifting silently to the ground.

"I'm glad you came," Katie said quietly. Spencer glanced over at her, her fair complexion flushed from the cold; her nose and cheeks were red, and strands of her blonde hair were escaping from her ponytail. Snowflakes were landing on her hat and dusting her shoulders. He watched them rest on her eyelashes and melt before his eyes.

Spencer was overcome by the way Katie made him feel, with her bright eyes and rosy cheeks, her endless enthusiasm and effortless passion. She was wholeheartedly and beautifully accepting. She was everything Spencer had ever wanted in a woman, and, standing there in the snow, he moved a little bit closer to her.

"I am, too," he whispered. He was still holding her hand, and she didn't move as he brought the other hand up to the base of her neck, drawing her in close as he leaned down. She rose up on her tip-toes to meet him, and she was suddenly very aware of everything around her. Seconds later, his pale pink lips were pressed against hers, cold and warm all at once, and the world seemed to stop. Katie felt as if she were at the center of a snowglobe, in a perfect and sheltered little world where the only progression of time was the falling of snowflakes. The kiss was chaste and innocent, but to Katie, it was everything. He pulled back and met her gaze, leaving her breathless. He seemed to be waiting for her response, but she couldn't come up with words to describe the feeling that their first kiss left her with, so she just stood back up on her tip-toes and kissed him again, feeling him smile into the kiss. When she pulled away again, she tangled her fingers with with his.

"Come on, I have hot chocolate and cookies," she said. He smiled and followed her lead into the house, wondering if, with a memory like this one, it would ever be possible for him to feel sad again.


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay, you're bringing Katie, right?" JJ asked. Spencer nodded his head.  
"Yes," he answered.  
"I cannot wait to meet her," Penelope squealed. Spencer smiled slightly. As it were, he couldn't wait for them to meet her, either.

Katie was stuck between two equally amazing choices. She internally lamented the fact that neither was inferior to the other. That would have made it so much easier for her. She was both nervous and excited to go to the party tonight. It was Christmas Eve and Spencer's team was having their annual Christmas party, held at JJ's house. Katie knew that Spencer was closer to JJ than anyone else on the team, but they were all very close.  
A family, even.  
She supposed that was to be expected from a group of people that spent that much time together, and in such intense circumstances. But it didn't stop her from being a little wary of encroaching on that territory. Spencer had assured her that it would be fine, but she was still nervous. Much like the say she'd first gone out for coffee with Spencer, Katie found herself struggling with what to wear. It wasn't until she caught sight of a third dress, tucked into the back of her closet, that Katie knew exactly what to wear.

The doorbell rang just a little before six that night, and Katie was completely ready. She opened the door promptly and watched Spencer's jaw drop.  
"Wow," he managed. Katie twirled flirtatiously and smiled at his stunned expression.  
"Well?" She said.  
"You look…beautiful," he said. She smiled at him.  
"Thank you."  
She'd ended up wearing a green dress that matched her eyes, with a v neck and lace overlay. It came to her knees and had cap sleeves. She wore it with heels that matched her dress and black tights. Her long blonde curls were pulled half up want fastened with a green ribbon, and she'd taken extra time on her makeup, resulting in winged eyeliner and a dusting of smoky color on her eyelids. Her earrings looked like little bows, the kind that you put on top of presents at Christmas. She grabbed her black and creme overcoat and shrugged it over her shoulders, smiling at Spencer.  
"Ready?" He asked. Katie nodded.  
"Ready," she confirmed.

JJ opened the door of the beautiful home where she lived. JJ was prettier than Katie had expected, with an open smile.  
"Hey, Spence," when said, and hugged him, then smiled at Katie.  
"You must be Katie," she said, and Katie nodded.  
"It's so great to meet you," JJ said. "I'm Jennifer Jareau, but you can call me JJ."  
"I've heard a lot about you," Katie replied, and JJ laughed as she moved aside, inviting them in. Within the next few minutes, Katie was introduced to Aaron Hotchner and his son, Jack, as well as JJ's husband and son, Will and Henry. Soon, they were joined by the rest of the team, and Katie met Emily Prentiss, David Rossi, Derek Morgan, and Penelope Garcia. They were all so unique and were all very kind. Katie found it easy to see why Spencer loved them.

Henry got put to bed a couple of hours later, and Hotch left not long after that to get Jack home. Katie and Spencer sat with the others, laughing and talking. Katie found it easy to be herself with them. They seemed to accept her, like her even. She definitely liked them. They all seemed to care about Spencer immensely, to the point of being protective. He was the youngest on the team, and arguably the most vulnerable. Katie found that she was grateful that they were like that. It made her feel better about his dangerous and long-distance job, to get the feeling that they would do everything they could to keep him safe out there.  
Penelope asked them how they'd met.  
"You haven't told them?" Katie asked Spencer, who shook his head.  
"They're profilers; I told them as little as possible about you until they could meet you," he explained.  
"Well, we met at a used bookstore in October," Katie told them.  
"She was looking at a Russian copy of Anna Karenina," Spencer said.  
"And he snuck up on me," Katie laughed. "We just…got started talking, and we ended up staying there all day," she said.  
"Before we knew it, it was after dinnertime and so…Spencer got called to work and we exchanged numbers and…the rest is history."  
Penelope sighed.  
"You guys are so cute! Aren't they cute?" She asked.  
"Aw, Baby Girl, you're making Pretty Boy blush," Morgan teased. Katie smiled slightly, her hand brushing against Spencer's leg, causing him to shoot her a small smile.

When they got back to Katie's house later that night, she turned to him with a smile.  
"Do you mind hanging out here for a bit?" She asked. "I want to give you your Christmas present."  
"I don't mind at all," he answered. "Especially since I have yours in my pocket."  
"Ooh, I'm intrigued," Katie said as she unlocked the door and allowed him inside.  
"I'll be back in just a minute," she promised. Spencer sat on her couch to wait, pulling out the small box from his jacket pocket. When Katie came back, she had changed out of her dress and into pajamas that were patterned with candy cane stripes. He smiled slightly at the sight of her, her long hair tied up.  
"Sorry," she said. "Heels were killing me and I love my pajamas," she explained. Spencer laughed lightly.  
"It's okay," he said. "They look good on you, too." She smiled and held out the package she was holding, which was wrapped in shiny silver paper and topped with a red bow.  
"Me first?" He asked. When she nodded, He took it from her. She watched him anxiously as he tore the paper off and opened the box. A smile spread across his face as he lifted a book out of the tissue paper. He ran his hand over the cover and gingerly opened the book, finding a written inscription in Katie's handwriting.  
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind," it read, followed by the name William Shakespeare, and words of Katie's own choosing underneath, which said, "Merry Christmas to a mind that is easy to love. Katie."  
The copy of Anna Karenina that Katie been looking at the day they'd met rested in Spencer's hand. He smiled brightly at her.  
"You like it?" She asked. He nodded his head.  
"I love it. Thank you so much," he said.  
"You're welcome," she replied. He held out the box he'd brought for her and she took it with a smile.  
"Open it," he urged. She pulled the ribbon off slowly and then untucked the package from the wrapping paper. She gasped lightly at the sight of the silver bracelet. It had three small charms that she'd first thought to be constellations, but which she now recognized as molecular structures.  
"Serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine," Spencer recited. "Serotonin is a happiness hormone, dopamine is the love one, and acetylcholine is often linked to learning, dreaming, and memory," he explained. "They all make me think of you."  
Katie blinked back tears, cursing her own emotions.  
"I hope you like it," he said.  
"Spence, I love it," she replied. "This is the sweetest gift I've ever gotten. Thank you so much."  
"You're welcome," he said softly. Katie moved his book off of the couch, freeing the space between them, and leaned in to hug him. He hugged her back and smiled into her shoulder.  
"Merry Christmas, Spencer," she whispered, and he smiled.  
"Merry Christmas, Katie."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm posting the same update on both Tumblr and . I know I've been fairly absent for a while, and I know it can be really frustrating when stories are left unfinished. I can't tell you how long it'll take me, or how much time there may be between updates but I can tell you I will finish this story along with any other multi-chapters I haven't gotten around to. I got a job as a writer and proofreader with my boyfriend's mom, who runs her own company. I'm going to college in the fall and I plan to have all of these stories done by then.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me. :)**

 **Cassie**

* * *

"Are you going to call her?"

Spencer Reid looked up at JJ from his seat on the BAU's jet. Slowly, he shook his head.

"I don't want to worry her," he said quietly. Absentmindedly, he brought a hand up to the bruise on his cheek, his long fingers ghosting over the tender flesh. He had thought of calling Katie earlier in the day, when it had happened, but had decided against it. Just under two months into their relationship, he didn't want to scare her.

"We're going to be home soon anyway," Spencer said to JJ. "I'll just tell her then." He paused, looking out at the wintry clouds past the windows of the plane. His thoughts, as usual, were whirling as he glanced back at JJ to find she was watching him curiously.

"JJ," he began, his voice halting and hesitant. "Do you-do you think she'll be mad that I didn't call?" JJ thought about it for a second.

"I don't know, Spence," she admitted. "But," she continued as she stood and ruffled his messy curls with a sparkle in her blue eyes and a smile on her face. "I think, even if she is mad, she'll forgive you pretty quickly."

Spencer offered JJ a half-smile as the blonde headed over to get coffee from the back of the plane. As his hazel gaze returned to the window, he sighed to himself.

"I hope so," he breathed. He looked out at the clouds and let his thoughts drift to the blonde-haired, green-eyed beauty he was on his way to see.

* * *

Katie's phone was ringing. She had just gotten home after having gone to work and then to dinner with a friend. She kicked her shoes off by the door as she smiled down at the caller ID.

Spencer.

She marveled all the time at how quickly she'd fallen for the sweet genius profiler. Then again, she thought as she slid the green icon over to answer the call, it wasn't altogether surprising if you knew him- he was kind of hard not to love.

"Hey," she said into her phone, her voice happy.

"Hi, Katie." Spencer's voice was warm, but Katie didn't need to be a profiler to immediately pick up on the fact that something was wrong.

"Spencer?" Katie said. He felt his heartbeat pick up as he heard the concern in her voice. Spencer Reid had never been that good at picking up emotions. But with Katie, everything was out there on her sleeve. It was like reading a book, he had discovered. He could identify all the feelings, and it was wonderfully new for him. "Are you okay?" she was asking him.

"I'm okay," he said. "But I was wondering if I could come by your house."

Katie glanced up at the clock on the wall. It read 8:54. She wondered again what was wrong.

"Of course," she said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Relatively," Spencer said, a slight laugh in his voice. Katie wondered what he meant by that.

"How far out are you?" she asked.

"Um...maybe like...I'm outside your building," he admitted. Katie had to laugh a little at that.

"Come on up, Spencer," she said softly. "I'll see you in a minute."

They hung up and Katie found herself staring at the door, waiting on Spencer to knock from the other side. She knew something was wrong, and she couldn't stop wondering what it was. Maybe it was something to do with his job? Maybe it was a family thing. Maybe he was going to break up with her?

Katie was struck suddenly by the thought.

What struck even harder was the way she felt at the idea. It flooded her like icy water, unpleasant and cold and scary. She was surprised in that moment by her own reaction to the idea, and realized suddenly that she would be truly broken-hearted if he were to break off their relationship. She'd never been quite so attached to someone as she was to Spencer Reid. Just as her thoughts were gathering in fearful bunches within her mind, there was a soft knock on her door that she was fairly sure she wouldn't have heard if she hadn't been in the front room. She forced herself not to rush to open it.

When the hinges swung open, Katie gasped.

"Spencer," she said. "What happened to your face?"

"It's alright," he said awkwardly. "I got into a bit of a-" his breath caught on a laugh. "A tussle."

"Your face is purple," Katie squeaked. Spencer blinked at her.

"Only this side," he said, pointing a finger at his left cheek.

There was a beat of silence.

"Come here," Katie said, and moments later, her arms were around him in a delightful tangle of limbs and apple shampoo and long blonde curls. He found that her hugs were something of a magical experience. He couldn't get enough of the contact, which for Spencer Reid, was something new. Everything about Katie was new and wonderful and made him feel so different in so many beautiful ways.

All too soon, she pulled away in a rush of cool air that made Spencer's insides squirm and long for the contact to return. She reached up and hesitantly ghosted over the blue and purple mess on his cheek.

"I took him down afterward," he offered with a little half-smile. Katie laughed a little bit at that as she finally thought to close the door behind him.

"I'm sure you did," she said. "When did this happen?"

"This morning," he replied. Suddenly, his fear from the plane returned full-force. What if, now that she knew he hadn't called, she was angry with him?

Katie saw the fear flicker across his face.

"Is something wrong, Spence?" she asked gently.

"What?" he asked nervously.

"I asked if something is wrong," she repeated, leading the way over to her couch and offering him a seat.

"I was-well, I was worried you would be angry," he admitted.

"Angry?" Katie seemed confused as she looked over at him. "Why would I be angry?"

"I thought about calling you when this happened, but I didn't and I was worried you would have wanted me to. I'm not so good at relationships, but I looked up some tips and did some research and there are a lot so I haven't had a chance to really soak all of it in yet and-"

"Woah, Spencer, calm down," Katie laughed. "It's alright," she said softly as she hesitantly brushed a stray curl off of his face so she could see the full extent of the bruising. Her gaze returned to his anxious hazel eyes. "I think you're pretty great at this relationship, and that's the one that matters, right?"

Slowly, Spencer nodded and smiled shyly at Katie.

"Come on," Katie said with a smile. "A day like today calls for hot chocolate."

Spencer smiled to himself as he followed her into the kitchen, feeling incredibly lucky to be where he was.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to all of you for being so loving and understanding of my break and so kind in my return! I love each of you.**

In early February, Spencer found himself confused.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Morgan asked when Spencer showed up at a team gathering at Rossi's. He recovered quickly, managing to explain in relative calmness that Katie was at a work meeting and would be there a little bit later.

It had been three months, and suddenly Spencer wondered if she was his girlfriend.

Girlfriend.

He rolled the word around his brain, watched it tumble and turn. He liked it. He liked the way it felt, the way it made him feel. He liked the idea of it, the idea of Katie being his girlfriend. They had never talked about it, though. He wondered how he would know. Was he supposed to know? Would she tell him? Did he have to ask her to be his girlfriend?

It was all very confusing.

"Hey, Reid, what's up?" Emily Prentiss asked as she settled into a seat next to him, her dark hair over her shoulder and a drink in her hand.

"What?" Spencer said, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I asked you what's up," she said.

"Why?" Spencer asked. His cheeks flushed pink and he shook his head. "I mean, why would something be up?"

Emily smiled a little at him, amused.

"Well, I was just making small talk but now I'm interested," she said, her tone a little bit wicked and completely typical of Emily. Spencer internally cursed himself.

"Come on, spill it," Emily said in that very individually Emily way of hers, persuasive and intense and playful all at once.

"I-can't-figure-out-if-Katie's-really-my-girlfriend-or-not," he mumbled, all in a rush with his words strung together. Emily laughed and he knew he would not have to repeat himself.

"Don't laugh," he begged. "Emily, I really don't know."

"Spencer, just talk to her," Emily giggled. "I'm pretty sure she's your girlfriend, and if she isn't and you pose this question to her, I have a feeling she will be."

Spencer pondered this as Emily, still laughing, walked away.

Later that evening, Katie joined Spencer on a walk around Rossi's elaborate rose garden. That man never ceased to amaze her. Admittedly, she'd known him only a couple of months, but David Rossi was the kind of personality you never forgot and felt you'd known forever after meeting him only once. It fell in line that of course he would have a rose garden that looked like it came out of a fairy tale. Katie had arrived a little before dinner, and had enjoyed the meal with Spencer's team, which felt more like a family. Now, full of delicious Italian food, the two of them strolled hand in hand amongst rosebushes that were currently dormant due to the cold winter, but which Rossi promised would be "luscious and beautiful" when the weather was warm. Katie didn't mind; she was content with the company, flowers or otherwise.

Spencer, she'd noticed, seemed preoccupied, but she didn't press. They hadn't been together very long, but long enough for her to know that he would come to her if and when he was ready to share whatever was on his mind.

"Katie?" he said quietly.

"Hmm?" she hummed.

"Um...I have a question." Noting his nervous tone of voice, Katie turned her eyes on Spencer inquisitively.

"What's that?" she asked lightly. Spencer bit his lip anxiously. He was teetering on the edge, and found that actually asking Katie was much harder than it had been to express his worry to Emily earlier in the evening.

"Spencer?" Katie prompted. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, exactly," he said. "I just...Morgan said something to me earlier that made me think and I realized I didn't know the answer to the questions my brain was coming up with and so I have to ask you and I feel kind of weird about having to ask so…" he took a deep breath while Katie watched him patiently.

"Are you my girlfriend?" he blurted suddenly, a pink blush creeping along his cheeks as a smile slowly spread across Katie's face.

"I just wasn't sure because I don't know how you know if someone is your girlfriend or if you have to ask or how it works or anything," Spencer said. Katie laughed.

"Hush, Spencer," she said. He stopped talking rather abruptly and looked at her.

"Do you want me to be?" she asked him softly. He didn't hesitate at all before he nodded vigorously, so much so that his messy curls fell into his face. Katie reached up and swept them aside so that she could see his eyes.

"Yeah?" she said with a smile. "Well, I think I already was, but I most certainly am now."

Spencer's smile was bright and brilliant, and made Katie feel warm inside as she smiled back at him. Rising up on her tip-toes, Katie pressed her lips against Spencer's, tasting chapstick and spaghetti and _Spencer_ , and thinking as he kissed her back, slow and warm, that nothing could be more perfect.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: You guys are wonderful. If you have any ideas for particular things you'd like to see, I'm pretty open about where this is going. Feel free to pitch your ideas! :)**

 **P.S. I wrote this while listening to Maroon 5's "Songs About Jane" and feeling all the feelings.**

* * *

It was March and springtime was looming. Springtime brought pollen, and pollen brought to Spencer Reid a very unpleasant experience. His first allergy attack of the season came on a warm, sunny day when DC's cherry trees were blooming along nearly every street. Katie had already expressed her affinity for them, telling him more than once how pretty they were and how when she was married and had a house, she wanted them in her yard.

On this particular day, Spencer had been planning on surprising Katie with lunch, but when he woke up he came to the realization that it was not going to happen. He could barely breathe and his chest felt as if someone were permanently resting atop it. His throat was scratchy and and every time he swallowed, he got the distinct feeling that someone was tracing the sides of his airways with razorblades.

It was altogether very annoying.

He sighed and picked up his phone to call Katie, sniffling as he did so. He glanced longingly out the window as it rang, wishing he could go out and enjoy the sunshine.

"Hey, Spencer," Katie's bright voice came over his phone's speaker. Hearing it only increased the feeling of wishing he could go and meet her.

"Hi," he croaked.

"You sound awful," she said.

"Yes," he agreed. "I have bad allergies. I don't think I'm going to be able to make it to lunch today," he said apologetically.

"That's alright," Katie said easily. Before Spencer had a chance to feel too hurt that she didn't mind not seeing him, Katie was speaking again.

"I will just have to bring lunch to you."

Spencer fell silent for a moment.

"Spencer?" Katie said. "Is that alright with you?"

"Oh, yeah," he said. Suddenly, he sneezed violently and Katie giggled.

"Bless you," she said.

"Thanks," he said, his consonant sounds dulled by his inability to breathe through his nose.

"I'll come by around noon, okay?" Katie told him. Spencer glanced over at the clock. It was only 9:15, and he internally lamented that he would have to wait one hundred and five minutes to see his girlfriend.

"Okay," he said instead of pointing this out.

"It's not that long, really," Katie said softly, as if she had known what he was thinking. He smiled a little bit to himself and nodded before he remembered she couldn't see him.

"You should try to sleep some more," Katie said. "I'll see you at lunchtime."

"Okay. Bye, Katie."

"Bye."

When they hung up, Spencer fell back against his pillows. He was in a much happier mood, and wanted to get up and do things. His body, however, disagreed with his mind's enthusiasm. Deterred from his endeavors, he settled for reading a book and glancing alternately out the window and at the clock as he watched the time slip away. It was going too slowly for his liking.

Spencer was in the living room by noon, waiting anxiously for Katie's arrival. He couldn't help but smile when he heard the knock on the door. Shuffling over to answer it, he offered the girl on the other side a warm smile. She smiled back at him and held up a bag, which contained containers of warm chicken soup. Despite the rising temperature outside, it seemed perfect to Spencer and he smiled to himself as he let her in.

"You look a mess," Katie laughed, reaching up to touch his forehead, checking his temperature under the guise of brushing his crazy caramel locks out of his eyes. Spencer just shook his head and the motion made his hair fall back into his eyes. Katie left it; she knew by now how likely it was to tame Spencer's wild curls.

"Come and eat," she said. "I'm willing to bet you didn't eat any breakfast." Sheepishly, Spencer shook his head.

"I was waiting for you," he said. Katie shot him an amused look as she gathered spoons and napkins for them.

"Did you miss the part where I said I was bringing lunch, not breakfast?" she asked. Spencer smiled a little bit and Katie shook her head, but she, too, was smiling.

"No wonder you're sick," she teased. "You don't take care of yourself."

"I mean, I do," he said. "I do take care of myself, in a very minimal sort of way."

"Uh-huh," Katie said.

Spencer accepted his soup with a sweet smile and as Katie sat down across from him, still in his flannel pajamas, she couldn't help but think that he looked adorable in this natural state.

Spencer, catching her staring, blushed.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

"You," Katie answered simply.

"Why?" Spencer asked, looking genuinely confused.

Katie looked across the wooden table at his dirty, messy light brown hair and smooth skin, his naturally angular facial structure that was still somehow just soft enough despite the sharp lines. She studied his pink lips, chapped even though he was constantly smudging chapstick across their surface. She looked at his long, lanky hands and thought about the innocence and warmth and strength that radiated from this beautiful, intelligent creature that had no clue what a gift he was.

Slowly, she smiled and shook her head.

"Because you're you."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! It's been a busy couple of weeks. Also, I know this is short but the remaining chapters will likely be short, more like little one-shots in chronological order. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks to the reader who suggested the content for this chapter. If there is something you would like to see, let me know. :) In other news, I'm probably going to start posting for Harry Potter soon, so be on the lookout for that if you're interested.**

* * *

The rain was different now. It had become not a cold autumn rain with the promise of winter, but rather a cool rain that brought the promise of summer. It felt altogether different, yet it brought Spencer a sense of nostalgia about the rainy day that he'd met Katie. On this particular day, Spencer was gazing out the window of his apartment, his fingers wrapped around a warm mug of coffee. He had invited Katie over and was waiting for her anxiously, wondering what her reaction might be to the question he had for her.

They'd been together for six months, and Spencer wanted her to meet his mother. He'd already been planning a trip to Las Vegas to see her, and he desperately wanted Katie to come with him. He'd never been so willing for anyone to meet Diana before, but something told him that she and Katie would get along well. He knew without a doubt that Diana would wholeheartedly approve of Katie, and he had high hopes that Katie would see his mom the way that he did. She was easily one of the most accepting and loving people he'd ever met, and he felt sure this quality would carry over into her feelings toward Diana. He wasn't really worried about her reaction, if he was being completely honest. As time had passed, Spencer had steadily become both more comfortable and more familiar with Katie. He couldn't imagine a scenario in which she wouldn't be willing to meet his mother. He just couldn't wait for his chance to ask her.

When Katie arrived outside Spencer's apartment, it was with a dripping rain coat, covered in little rivulets of water as a result of the fine mist outside. She smiled brightly at Spencer, and he couldn't stop himself.

"Do you want to meet my mom?" he asked, before she was even in the apartment. "I'm going to visit her in Las Vegas soon, and I would really like for you to come with me."

"Of course I want to meet your mom," she said. "Is it okay if I come in now?" she asked him with a bemused smile.

"Oh, right, of course," he said, sounding positively giddy as he started to chatter to her about all the plans for their upcoming trip.

* * *

It wasn't until they approached the building that Katie began to get nervous. She'd been so caught up in the preparations and excitement of the whole thing that it had somehow not occurred to her that she was meeting _Spencer's mom_. She was moments away from meeting the woman who had been a key part of creating the kindest, most intelligent, loving human being she had ever met. She knew that Diana Reid was not an ordinary woman, but it was not her disease that made her that way. It was the fact that she had given the world something as special and wonderful as Spencer. Truth be told, Katie thought to herself, she was a little wonderstruck.

"Are you okay?" Spencer asked, jarring Katie from her thoughts. She offered him a smile and nodded her head, hiding her nervousness. Spencer probably would have picked up on it if not for how excited he was. Katie knew that it wasn't easy for him, but it made her feel warm to see how happy it made him to take her to meet his mom.

"There she is," Spencer said, and continued to hold Katie's hand as they approached the woman with short blonde hair, who was sitting in a chair by the window.

"Hi, Mom," Spencer said happily and Diana looked up at him, a small smile appearing on her face for a fraction of a second as Spencer let go of Katie's hand to hug his mom.

"Spencer," Diana said, and Katie was surprised by her warm, gravelly voice. Suddenly, her eyes landed on Katie and then flickered back to Spencer.

"Who's this?" she asked. Spencer slipped his hand back into Katie's.

"This is my girlfriend, Katie," he said proudly. Diana looked her up and down and Katie felt a little twinge of worry- _What if she doesn't like me?-_ but then Diana smiled at her son.

"She's prettier than your other one," Diana said.

"The other one was never my girlfriend, Mom," Spencer said.

"Well, at any rate, she makes you happy so I like her," Diana said matter-of-factly. Spencer beamed.

"Hi, Mrs. Reid," Katie said.

"Hello. Sit," Diana invited. Katie got the feeling that even before her schizophrenia became too hard to manage, Diana was a very commanding presence in all the right ways; impressive and strong-willed.

As Katie and Spencer sat down together across from Diana, Katie could already tell that coming to Las Vegas with Spencer had been a very good decision.


End file.
